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Out of Breath
A compulsive, nail-bitingly tense psychological thriller that takes its readers deep into the heart of a seemingly idyllic intentional community - that proves to be anything but...For readers of Anna Downes' "The Safe Place" and Sarah Bailey's "The Housemate".
Jo Ainsley has been running for a long time. From her childhood in small town England to art school in London to the messy end of a relationship in Sydney, Jo has chosen to run again and again, each time moving further from where her troubles began.
This time, her escape will bring her to the remote northwest region of Western Australia, where she must work for 88 days on a farm in order to extend her visa. There she meets an American, Gabe, with whom she has an immediate connection. He tells her of an idyllic off-grid community which seems like a refuge to her. Miserable, desperate and traumatised by a brutal event at the farm, Jo decides to run.
But the paradisal free-diving haven that embraces her without judgement is not all it seems. It harbours some sinister secrets - and so does Gabe. Jo searches for answers, but is she prepared for what she uncovers? She must decide where her loyalties lie and if she is really ready to confront the darkness of her past...
Jo Ainsley has been running for a long time. From her childhood in small town England to art school in London to the messy end of a relationship in Sydney, Jo has chosen to run again and again, each time moving further from where her troubles began.
This time, her escape will bring her to the remote northwest region of Western Australia, where she must work for 88 days on a farm in order to extend her visa. There she meets an American, Gabe, with whom she has an immediate connection. He tells her of an idyllic off-grid community which seems like a refuge to her. Miserable, desperate and traumatised by a brutal event at the farm, Jo decides to run.
But the paradisal free-diving haven that embraces her without judgement is not all it seems. It harbours some sinister secrets - and so does Gabe. Jo searches for answers, but is she prepared for what she uncovers? She must decide where her loyalties lie and if she is really ready to confront the darkness of her past...
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2022
11 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Anna Snoekstra
13 books467 followersAnna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia in 1988. She studied Creative Writing and Cinema at Melbourne University, followed by Screenwriting at RMIT University.
Anna's short films and music videos have screened around the world. She has written an array of published and award winning short fiction. Her debut novel ONLY DAUGHTER was published in September 2016 (Mira). Her second novel LITTLE SECRETS will be published November 2017 (Mira).
Anna's short films and music videos have screened around the world. She has written an array of published and award winning short fiction. Her debut novel ONLY DAUGHTER was published in September 2016 (Mira). Her second novel LITTLE SECRETS will be published November 2017 (Mira).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
June 28, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
Anna Snoekstra is another Australian author, they are everywhere at the moment!
Josephine Ainsley has spent her life running from her problems. When she was 7 years old her mother sent her to her father as their relationship broke down after the death of her little brother in a boating accident. Sam did his best for her but was not really warm and fuzzy father material. Josephine refused to speak to her mother again. When she finished school Josie couldn’t wait to run away to art school in London but a failed relationship with her teacher sent her running again this time to Sydney, Australia.
In Sydney she had a relationship with Eric, a Phd student. When she fell pregnant it was kind of assumed they would marry but after Josie had a miscarriage and Eric seemed relieved she knew there would be no wedding so she runs again- this time to the Kimberley in NW Western Australia to a mango farm to fulfil a visa requirement of a further 88 days of work. Life on the farm is hard work and the conditions are quite rough but she finds a rhythm. She also meets the charismatic and enigmatic American, Gabe, who lives at some hippie commune on the coast and drops into the farm now and then. After an accident with the sorting machine that causes a nasty injury to one of the pickers, Jo blames herself and runs again. This time she heads off on foot, ill prepared, to find Gabe’s commune.
It is further than she thought band after four days walking in the scorching sun and out of water she finally arrives suffering heat stroke and severe sunburn. Ally, the mother hen soothes and heals her body and then sets to work soothing and healing her mind. Ally used to be a psychiatrist. But soon Jo, now just J, realises that this utopia is not what she thought. She learns that Gabe is not who she thought he was and, more worryingly, Ally the earth mother is also not who she thought she was. There is also a little girl, Nika, whose mother apparently left her there. J realises that The mute seeming girl only talks to her as she was not around yet when her mother disappeared. She is frightened. How far must J run to outrun her past?
This was a rather literary and very lyrical book. It was a slow burn character based story that many readers will appreciate. It got a little more dramatic towards the end. I appreciated it too but it was a little slow for me. I also found Jo a little annoying with her constant running from her problems but it was really rather exquisitely written. The stark and brutal beauty of the Kimberley region was vividly portrayed. I wish I could have appreciated the book more. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Anna Snoekstra is another Australian author, they are everywhere at the moment!
Josephine Ainsley has spent her life running from her problems. When she was 7 years old her mother sent her to her father as their relationship broke down after the death of her little brother in a boating accident. Sam did his best for her but was not really warm and fuzzy father material. Josephine refused to speak to her mother again. When she finished school Josie couldn’t wait to run away to art school in London but a failed relationship with her teacher sent her running again this time to Sydney, Australia.
In Sydney she had a relationship with Eric, a Phd student. When she fell pregnant it was kind of assumed they would marry but after Josie had a miscarriage and Eric seemed relieved she knew there would be no wedding so she runs again- this time to the Kimberley in NW Western Australia to a mango farm to fulfil a visa requirement of a further 88 days of work. Life on the farm is hard work and the conditions are quite rough but she finds a rhythm. She also meets the charismatic and enigmatic American, Gabe, who lives at some hippie commune on the coast and drops into the farm now and then. After an accident with the sorting machine that causes a nasty injury to one of the pickers, Jo blames herself and runs again. This time she heads off on foot, ill prepared, to find Gabe’s commune.
It is further than she thought band after four days walking in the scorching sun and out of water she finally arrives suffering heat stroke and severe sunburn. Ally, the mother hen soothes and heals her body and then sets to work soothing and healing her mind. Ally used to be a psychiatrist. But soon Jo, now just J, realises that this utopia is not what she thought. She learns that Gabe is not who she thought he was and, more worryingly, Ally the earth mother is also not who she thought she was. There is also a little girl, Nika, whose mother apparently left her there. J realises that The mute seeming girl only talks to her as she was not around yet when her mother disappeared. She is frightened. How far must J run to outrun her past?
This was a rather literary and very lyrical book. It was a slow burn character based story that many readers will appreciate. It got a little more dramatic towards the end. I appreciated it too but it was a little slow for me. I also found Jo a little annoying with her constant running from her problems but it was really rather exquisitely written. The stark and brutal beauty of the Kimberley region was vividly portrayed. I wish I could have appreciated the book more. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
June 9, 2022
Jo Ainsley has been looking for a better life since her traumatic childhood in England, loved by neither of her dysfunctional parents. She thought art school in London would be her escape, but it wasn’t so she travelled to Australia where she found work she enjoyed and a boyfriend in Sydney. But when that relationship failed, she moved again, about as far away as she could to work on a remote mango farm outside Broome in north Western Australia. To extend her working holiday visa she has to complete 88 days of farm work so will need to find another farm job after that. The work is tough, the living conditions minimal (a basic steel hut with bunks and no electricity) but the farmer is fair and she comes to enjoy the outdoor work, however when a terrible accident happens to one of the workers, she runs away again to an off the grid commune on the coast that she’d heard about from a charismatic American called Gabe.
There Jo finds other souls like herself, damaged in some way and looking for a safe place to live. A woman called Anna, a psychologist in her former life, helps Jo and others face their pasts and their fears so they can come to terms with them. The group also teaches Jo how to free dive, holding her breath for increasingly longer times under the sea. The group live on damaged fruit and vegetables that Gabe collects from the farmers and at first Jo enjoys the carefree life that they have, especially once the sessions with Anna start to unlock the source of her childhood trauma. However, before long she discovers that not only does the group’s abilty to free dive has a nefarious purpose but also that someone has secrets which could harm the group and put her in danger.
This is a very Australian novel set in a quintessential outback setting in the country’s northwest. It highlights the problems some working holiday visa holders can encounter in doing the required seasonal work needed to extend their visas, often with long working hours, poor living and working conditions, poor workplace safety and often with their pay withheld by the farmer until they have completed their stay. The pacing of the novel is a little slow at first but picks up once Jo leaves the farm and joins the commune and the ending is certainly very dramatic. Overall, it's a very original tale with some unusual characters in a very unique setting. 3.5★
With thanks to Harlequin Australia via Netgalley for a copy to read
There Jo finds other souls like herself, damaged in some way and looking for a safe place to live. A woman called Anna, a psychologist in her former life, helps Jo and others face their pasts and their fears so they can come to terms with them. The group also teaches Jo how to free dive, holding her breath for increasingly longer times under the sea. The group live on damaged fruit and vegetables that Gabe collects from the farmers and at first Jo enjoys the carefree life that they have, especially once the sessions with Anna start to unlock the source of her childhood trauma. However, before long she discovers that not only does the group’s abilty to free dive has a nefarious purpose but also that someone has secrets which could harm the group and put her in danger.
This is a very Australian novel set in a quintessential outback setting in the country’s northwest. It highlights the problems some working holiday visa holders can encounter in doing the required seasonal work needed to extend their visas, often with long working hours, poor living and working conditions, poor workplace safety and often with their pay withheld by the farmer until they have completed their stay. The pacing of the novel is a little slow at first but picks up once Jo leaves the farm and joins the commune and the ending is certainly very dramatic. Overall, it's a very original tale with some unusual characters in a very unique setting. 3.5★
With thanks to Harlequin Australia via Netgalley for a copy to read
July 7, 2022
Jo has spent her life running away from her problems, instead of trying to tackle them. She run from her childhood in England, from Art School in London. She ran from a failed relationship, after a miscarriage, with her boyfriend Eric in Sydney and is now in Western Australia, working as a fruit picker on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
The work on the fruit farm is tough, but reasonable. The fruit packers pick fruit by hand all day in the blistering heat, the retreat of an evening to a tin shed, with no electricity, they use a fire pit for some light, have showers and retreat to bed exhausted in preparation for the next gruelling day.
Jo befriends the famer and his young son and they form a bond together. A tragic accident occurs at the farm with one of Jo's co-workers. Jo becomes traumatised by the accident and the urge to resurfaces again.
Whilst working at the farm, Jo meets Gabe, Jo describes to her the off the grid community that he resides with, it is remote and undiscovered and to Jo this sounds like heaven, a place that is unrecognised and unknown, a place that is welcoming and a place to escape from reality.
This novel was a great thriller, with lot of unexpected twists and turns.
Thankyou to Better Reading for my advanced copy, in return I offer my honest review.
4 Stars: I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who like the genre. I will definitely want to read more books by this author
Please visit my Facebook page and blog to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/kyliesbookad...
https://kyliesbookaddictreviews.blogs...
The work on the fruit farm is tough, but reasonable. The fruit packers pick fruit by hand all day in the blistering heat, the retreat of an evening to a tin shed, with no electricity, they use a fire pit for some light, have showers and retreat to bed exhausted in preparation for the next gruelling day.
Jo befriends the famer and his young son and they form a bond together. A tragic accident occurs at the farm with one of Jo's co-workers. Jo becomes traumatised by the accident and the urge to resurfaces again.
Whilst working at the farm, Jo meets Gabe, Jo describes to her the off the grid community that he resides with, it is remote and undiscovered and to Jo this sounds like heaven, a place that is unrecognised and unknown, a place that is welcoming and a place to escape from reality.
This novel was a great thriller, with lot of unexpected twists and turns.
Thankyou to Better Reading for my advanced copy, in return I offer my honest review.
4 Stars: I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who like the genre. I will definitely want to read more books by this author
Please visit my Facebook page and blog to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/kyliesbookad...
https://kyliesbookaddictreviews.blogs...
July 2, 2022
A big thank you to the author, Anna Snoekstra for having a signed copy of this book sent to me to read before release. I was excited to read it, as I was a big fan of her previous books, Spite Game and Little Secrets. And you know I love an Aussie setting!
Out of Breath was a dark and unsettling read, set in outback WA in Australia. I really felt worried for out main protagonist, Jo. She was a very damaged woman, with a troubled past. Things never seem to right for her, and every time it goes wrong, she runs. Originally from England, she is now living in Sydney. When her relationship breaks down she ready to leave again. In order to extend her working visa, she needs to work 88 days on a farm. She heads to Western Australia, to a remote mango farm. Here she meets American Gabe, who tells her of an off the grid community with people just like her. After an accident at the farm she flees on foot to find Gabe.
The fierce Australian sun and landscape was always going to defeat her, but she is lucky to be found and taken to her destination. Here she is brought back to health and looked after. The other residents are from all over the world and seem to be happy. The longer that she is there, the more she discovers that nobody is who they appear to be.
It is a slow burn that will keep you turning those pages. Alot is happening all the time and I was so unsure how it would end. It does cover some disturbing subjects but they will lead to spoilers. If you want to know more message me.
Thanks to Anna and Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy to read. Published in Australia, July 6th
Out of Breath was a dark and unsettling read, set in outback WA in Australia. I really felt worried for out main protagonist, Jo. She was a very damaged woman, with a troubled past. Things never seem to right for her, and every time it goes wrong, she runs. Originally from England, she is now living in Sydney. When her relationship breaks down she ready to leave again. In order to extend her working visa, she needs to work 88 days on a farm. She heads to Western Australia, to a remote mango farm. Here she meets American Gabe, who tells her of an off the grid community with people just like her. After an accident at the farm she flees on foot to find Gabe.
The fierce Australian sun and landscape was always going to defeat her, but she is lucky to be found and taken to her destination. Here she is brought back to health and looked after. The other residents are from all over the world and seem to be happy. The longer that she is there, the more she discovers that nobody is who they appear to be.
It is a slow burn that will keep you turning those pages. Alot is happening all the time and I was so unsure how it would end. It does cover some disturbing subjects but they will lead to spoilers. If you want to know more message me.
Thanks to Anna and Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy to read. Published in Australia, July 6th
June 27, 2022
3.5 stars
I did like this story although I thought it was a little slow at the start, I am not sure that I would call it a thriller, it started to move as I got closer to the end, the main character Jo Ainsley has come to Australia to escape England and her past, will she finally find peace and herself?
Jo is escaping to a new life, but things aren’t going as she would have hoped but she is not ready to return to England yet so to extend her stay in Australia she must work on a farm for eighty eight days, leaving Sydney she arrives in Broome Western Australia to work on a mango farm, the work is hard and her boss is different, but here she meets an American Gabe and hears about a different life, a life off the grid when a terrible accident has her running again, Jo finds herself at Rossack with a group of people who seem to be living a carefree life, but is it that.
At first life for Jo seems great, Ally who is the leader helps her with her past and Gabe is there and her feelings for him grow but then she discovers something that will change her life again and put her at risk as well as a couple of other people living here, she needs to run again, will she be safe and will she ever find happiness and put the past behind her?
The ending in this book is really good and fitting, I loved the setting in Broome and the old pearler’s camp and the free diving they all did in the beautiful ocean, staying here sees Jo come to terms with her past and now maybe she can move onto a better future. I did find it different with some great characters and I am sure that lots of people will love this one, it was a book that I needed to get to the end to find out what happened.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
I did like this story although I thought it was a little slow at the start, I am not sure that I would call it a thriller, it started to move as I got closer to the end, the main character Jo Ainsley has come to Australia to escape England and her past, will she finally find peace and herself?
Jo is escaping to a new life, but things aren’t going as she would have hoped but she is not ready to return to England yet so to extend her stay in Australia she must work on a farm for eighty eight days, leaving Sydney she arrives in Broome Western Australia to work on a mango farm, the work is hard and her boss is different, but here she meets an American Gabe and hears about a different life, a life off the grid when a terrible accident has her running again, Jo finds herself at Rossack with a group of people who seem to be living a carefree life, but is it that.
At first life for Jo seems great, Ally who is the leader helps her with her past and Gabe is there and her feelings for him grow but then she discovers something that will change her life again and put her at risk as well as a couple of other people living here, she needs to run again, will she be safe and will she ever find happiness and put the past behind her?
The ending in this book is really good and fitting, I loved the setting in Broome and the old pearler’s camp and the free diving they all did in the beautiful ocean, staying here sees Jo come to terms with her past and now maybe she can move onto a better future. I did find it different with some great characters and I am sure that lots of people will love this one, it was a book that I needed to get to the end to find out what happened.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
July 11, 2022
Thank you Harlequin Australia and Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book for review.
I was captivated by this book. Jo was an unsettled person who seemed to be searching or seeking something. It was a slow burner which I didnt mind at all. This book had a beautiful setting both in Sydney and Western Australia. I loved the idea of the free diving and found it fascinating. I could picture the scenery and the activities they were doing there. Past and present play a part in this book as Jo has flashbacks to her childhood and it shows why she is like she is. I felt so many of her emotions such as fear, sadness, and hopelessness. This book is an all rounder which has mystery, love and suspense. There are alot of characters to keep you on your toes. It was a fitting ending with a little twist you wont see coming. I really enjoyed this book and cant wait to read her others.
I was captivated by this book. Jo was an unsettled person who seemed to be searching or seeking something. It was a slow burner which I didnt mind at all. This book had a beautiful setting both in Sydney and Western Australia. I loved the idea of the free diving and found it fascinating. I could picture the scenery and the activities they were doing there. Past and present play a part in this book as Jo has flashbacks to her childhood and it shows why she is like she is. I felt so many of her emotions such as fear, sadness, and hopelessness. This book is an all rounder which has mystery, love and suspense. There are alot of characters to keep you on your toes. It was a fitting ending with a little twist you wont see coming. I really enjoyed this book and cant wait to read her others.
August 9, 2022
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Melbourne based writer Anna Snoekstra makes her mark on the psychological suspense genre with her new title Out of Breath. Dark, edgy, uncertain and dicey, Out of Breath is an unapparelled thriller that will seduce psychological fiction readers.
Following principal character Jo Ainsley, a young woman with a troubled past, Out of Breath tracks this damaged woman’s life. We learn that Jo has left of trail of broken relationships as she has moved from one difficult life to another. Now Jo has a remote location in Western Australia in her sights, as she works to keep her travel visa. At a farm in outback WA, Jo encounters an enigmatic man named Gabe. As soon as Gabe and Jo cross paths sparks seem to fly. Gabe entices Jo to join an off-grid community set, which seems to appeal to this broken young woman, who is desperately seeking direction. But soon after Jo’s arrival at the off-grid site, she realises this place is not what it seems. Underneath the source of this safe haven are deeply entrenched secrets. Jo must go on a quest to uncover the truth, which will take her to places she doesn’t want to go. Jo must consider her moral compass and dig deep into her past as the truth is slowly revealed. Can Jo move on from the darkness that sits by her side?
It looks like I have read three out the four books that have been penned by Anna Snoekstra. Out of Breath is Snoekstra’s latest release and it is a novel that fits very snugly into the psychological thriller genre. Filled with plenty of slow burn style tension and a dense atmosphere, Out of Breath is a distinctive read.
Off-grid communities and cults have always been a source of curiosity for me. As this mode of living is completely juxtaposed to my own, I seem to gravitate towards these kinds of stories. Snoekstra features this alternative lifestyle element very well in her book, so you feel like a close member of the party, alongside the main characters. It is clear that Snoekstra has clearly researched her way through this topic, as her descriptions of this mode of living feels realistic, credible and immersive. Setting up a cult like place as the central location for a thriller to play out was a fantastic story direction. I know I was swept up in the suspense-filled events of Out of Breath.
Snoekstra pays close attention to her characters, giving us a good insight into their lives both in the present and in the past. Jo was a colourful lead, with a great history to unpack. I liked how Jo’s past was linked directly to the present-day happenings. The support cast are brushed with a good dose of authenticity and high interest, which helps keep the reader highly engaged in this novel. Alongside the solid characterisation are keynote themes of escape, travel, health, trauma, relationships, heartbreak, danger, decision making and personal healing. With the rich WA landscape illuminating the events of this tale, readers will be sucked into Out of Breath until the bitter end.
If you long to break free from the constraints of everyday life and experience something out of the ordinary, Out of Breath is a great alterative lifestyle thriller.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Melbourne based writer Anna Snoekstra makes her mark on the psychological suspense genre with her new title Out of Breath. Dark, edgy, uncertain and dicey, Out of Breath is an unapparelled thriller that will seduce psychological fiction readers.
Following principal character Jo Ainsley, a young woman with a troubled past, Out of Breath tracks this damaged woman’s life. We learn that Jo has left of trail of broken relationships as she has moved from one difficult life to another. Now Jo has a remote location in Western Australia in her sights, as she works to keep her travel visa. At a farm in outback WA, Jo encounters an enigmatic man named Gabe. As soon as Gabe and Jo cross paths sparks seem to fly. Gabe entices Jo to join an off-grid community set, which seems to appeal to this broken young woman, who is desperately seeking direction. But soon after Jo’s arrival at the off-grid site, she realises this place is not what it seems. Underneath the source of this safe haven are deeply entrenched secrets. Jo must go on a quest to uncover the truth, which will take her to places she doesn’t want to go. Jo must consider her moral compass and dig deep into her past as the truth is slowly revealed. Can Jo move on from the darkness that sits by her side?
It looks like I have read three out the four books that have been penned by Anna Snoekstra. Out of Breath is Snoekstra’s latest release and it is a novel that fits very snugly into the psychological thriller genre. Filled with plenty of slow burn style tension and a dense atmosphere, Out of Breath is a distinctive read.
Off-grid communities and cults have always been a source of curiosity for me. As this mode of living is completely juxtaposed to my own, I seem to gravitate towards these kinds of stories. Snoekstra features this alternative lifestyle element very well in her book, so you feel like a close member of the party, alongside the main characters. It is clear that Snoekstra has clearly researched her way through this topic, as her descriptions of this mode of living feels realistic, credible and immersive. Setting up a cult like place as the central location for a thriller to play out was a fantastic story direction. I know I was swept up in the suspense-filled events of Out of Breath.
Snoekstra pays close attention to her characters, giving us a good insight into their lives both in the present and in the past. Jo was a colourful lead, with a great history to unpack. I liked how Jo’s past was linked directly to the present-day happenings. The support cast are brushed with a good dose of authenticity and high interest, which helps keep the reader highly engaged in this novel. Alongside the solid characterisation are keynote themes of escape, travel, health, trauma, relationships, heartbreak, danger, decision making and personal healing. With the rich WA landscape illuminating the events of this tale, readers will be sucked into Out of Breath until the bitter end.
If you long to break free from the constraints of everyday life and experience something out of the ordinary, Out of Breath is a great alterative lifestyle thriller.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
February 19, 2023
Out of Breath is a twisty psychological thriller set in Australia's far north-west Kimberley region. It's a slow build, but intensifies to a gripping crescendo as the heroine finds herself not only on a voyage of self-discovery, but in a race for her life!
Australian working visa requirements draw British art school dropout Jo Ainsley from her café job in Sydney to far-northern Western Australia, where she's acquired work picking mangos at a farm northeast of Broome in the region known as "the Kimberley". It's a picturesque and fascinating place to visit for a holiday, but the heat and isolation make it a very difficult place to work and, after a horrifying incident on the packing line, Jo decides to quit the farm without notice. Over the previous few weeks, Jo has developed a fascination with occasional visitor Gabe, an attractive young American man with whom she forms an instant connection. Her plan upon leaving the farm is to join Gabe and the group with whom he enjoys an apparently idyllic existence living off-grid in a remote location on the coast. After a couple of nights wandering disoriented in the unforgiving landscape, and a disquieting encounter with two local shooters, she finally stumbles, badly sunburned, dehydrated and delirious, upon the small community, who live in the structures remaining from a long-abandoned pearling village (the community of Rossack in the book is presumably inspired by the real-life ghost town of Cossack, located further south on the Pilbara coast).
As Jo is nursed back to health by Ally, the commune's leader and charismatic mother figure, she not only regains her physical health, but is encouraged by Ally to confront the psychological demons of her past. She makes friends with the other members of the group, while being surprised to recognise several of the faces from the many "Missing Person" posters plastered around Broome and on the internet. Nevertheless, she commits herself to overcoming her fears and learning to free dive in the warm, crystalline waters, while at the same time developing a covert romantic attachment with Gabe. However, the longer she spends at Rossack, the more Jo senses that life at the commune isn't as idyllic as it first appeared, as she begins to doubt Ally's motives and the loyalties of her new friends and lover.
The first half of the novel is a relatively slow build, necessary to establish the Australian outback setting and to explore the complex past trauma that drives Jo to repeatedly run from situations that challenge her. However, once Jo arrives at the commune, the pace and intrigue pick up and the reader is kept guessing as to what nefarious purpose is motivating the group's activities and who's pulling the strings. There are several surprise twists as the action builds to a deadly pursuit in one of the world's most remote inhabited regions.
While it took me a while to warm to the character of Jo, I ultimately found her a sympathetic heroine, locked in a cycle of self-sabotaging behaviour as a result of a tragic incident in her past. Anna Snoekstra has created a really evocative sense of setting in the Kimberley, where the dramatic beauty of the landscape belies the life-threatening dangers that lurk for the unprepared. Similarly, a malevolent force works unseen behind the carefree appearance of the free-diving off-grid community.
I'd recommend Out of Breath to readers who enjoy Australian rural and outback crime fiction, twisty psychological thriller plots, and flawed characters finding catharsis. I think this book would appeal to readers who enjoyed Allie Reynolds's NSW-set surfing thriller The Bay, as there are several themes in common between the titles, which were published less than a month apart in mid-2022!
Australian working visa requirements draw British art school dropout Jo Ainsley from her café job in Sydney to far-northern Western Australia, where she's acquired work picking mangos at a farm northeast of Broome in the region known as "the Kimberley". It's a picturesque and fascinating place to visit for a holiday, but the heat and isolation make it a very difficult place to work and, after a horrifying incident on the packing line, Jo decides to quit the farm without notice. Over the previous few weeks, Jo has developed a fascination with occasional visitor Gabe, an attractive young American man with whom she forms an instant connection. Her plan upon leaving the farm is to join Gabe and the group with whom he enjoys an apparently idyllic existence living off-grid in a remote location on the coast. After a couple of nights wandering disoriented in the unforgiving landscape, and a disquieting encounter with two local shooters, she finally stumbles, badly sunburned, dehydrated and delirious, upon the small community, who live in the structures remaining from a long-abandoned pearling village (the community of Rossack in the book is presumably inspired by the real-life ghost town of Cossack, located further south on the Pilbara coast).
As Jo is nursed back to health by Ally, the commune's leader and charismatic mother figure, she not only regains her physical health, but is encouraged by Ally to confront the psychological demons of her past. She makes friends with the other members of the group, while being surprised to recognise several of the faces from the many "Missing Person" posters plastered around Broome and on the internet. Nevertheless, she commits herself to overcoming her fears and learning to free dive in the warm, crystalline waters, while at the same time developing a covert romantic attachment with Gabe. However, the longer she spends at Rossack, the more Jo senses that life at the commune isn't as idyllic as it first appeared, as she begins to doubt Ally's motives and the loyalties of her new friends and lover.
The first half of the novel is a relatively slow build, necessary to establish the Australian outback setting and to explore the complex past trauma that drives Jo to repeatedly run from situations that challenge her. However, once Jo arrives at the commune, the pace and intrigue pick up and the reader is kept guessing as to what nefarious purpose is motivating the group's activities and who's pulling the strings. There are several surprise twists as the action builds to a deadly pursuit in one of the world's most remote inhabited regions.
While it took me a while to warm to the character of Jo, I ultimately found her a sympathetic heroine, locked in a cycle of self-sabotaging behaviour as a result of a tragic incident in her past. Anna Snoekstra has created a really evocative sense of setting in the Kimberley, where the dramatic beauty of the landscape belies the life-threatening dangers that lurk for the unprepared. Similarly, a malevolent force works unseen behind the carefree appearance of the free-diving off-grid community.
I'd recommend Out of Breath to readers who enjoy Australian rural and outback crime fiction, twisty psychological thriller plots, and flawed characters finding catharsis. I think this book would appeal to readers who enjoyed Allie Reynolds's NSW-set surfing thriller The Bay, as there are several themes in common between the titles, which were published less than a month apart in mid-2022!
May 8, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book takes the reader on the magical but treacherous journey to the coastal outback of North West Australia. This vast empty landscape that those from close knit towns of Europe have no concept of and the heat which Josie Ainsley finally discovers for herself with her close to death experience.
How did Josie (Jo...J) Ainsley come to be in this part of the world so far from her safe existence in London? After realising that she was failing art school, not any art school but the Slade School of Fine Art, she decides to dump current boyfriend/teacher Geoffrey and head off to Australia. First stop is Sydney but this is a city like other cities, just warmer than London. However, even with this change in scenery and lifestyle this young woman can't escape her chronic insomnia and continual nightmares. In fact this is a young woman still living with the trauma of her childhood. Due to an extreme change in her family relationships, from living with her mother to living with her father who didn't want to have the burden of fatherhood, Josie has lost out on love and caring. She can't settle even with new friends in Sydney and running a successful game show at a local pub and a boyfriend who is not dissimilar in attitude to the London boyfriend although through her circumstances marriage is mooted. Finally she decides to respond to her initial enquiry regarding work at a mango farm in the outback of North West Australia.
Getting to the mango farm has been quite an eye opener, left in the middle of nowhere by the driver of the bus the landscape like no other, Jo starts to wonder if she has made the right move. It's dark before finally the farm truck arrives. Unbeknown to her, some of these isolated farms have quite bad reputations of poor living arrangements and poor pay. The living quarters at the mango farm, no electricity, no communication facilities and bunk beds in a hot tin shed. Her first day gives Jo a real taste of hard work, picking mangoes she is required to meet the designated quota. It's tough going however she makes new friends and is determined to stick it out but due to her inability to pay attention to her work, mostly as the result of the continual lack of sleep, the nightmares and night terrors returning, a terrible accident occurs which changes the dynamics of her personal relationships with the other workers. After this she decides to set out alone for the utopia described by one of the visitors to the farm, an American who, like the others at this commune, has put the world behind him.
With only a few bottles of water and some bruised mangoes Jo starts off into the desolate wasteland with only vague instructions of a westward destination. Almost succumbing to dehydration and sunstroke she is discovered by chance by the matriarch of the commune travelling with the American Gabe, where she finally wakes to find herself at the commune. The matriarch Ally has a beguiling personality and in no time Jo finds herself taken in by her. Ally's past professional life has given her the tools to get into someone's mind and for which Jo, like the others, succumbs to her, revealing things about herself that she has never told anyone. However, in an incident with Gabe her hidden memories are awakened and the truth of her childhood actions revealed. The discovery of Ally's real purpose with everyone eventually comes to light as does the deceit by Gabe. Unbeknown to Jo those from the outside world have put actions into motion for which eventually reaches her mother in London.
This book takes the reader on the magical but treacherous journey to the coastal outback of North West Australia. This vast empty landscape that those from close knit towns of Europe have no concept of and the heat which Josie Ainsley finally discovers for herself with her close to death experience.
How did Josie (Jo...J) Ainsley come to be in this part of the world so far from her safe existence in London? After realising that she was failing art school, not any art school but the Slade School of Fine Art, she decides to dump current boyfriend/teacher Geoffrey and head off to Australia. First stop is Sydney but this is a city like other cities, just warmer than London. However, even with this change in scenery and lifestyle this young woman can't escape her chronic insomnia and continual nightmares. In fact this is a young woman still living with the trauma of her childhood. Due to an extreme change in her family relationships, from living with her mother to living with her father who didn't want to have the burden of fatherhood, Josie has lost out on love and caring. She can't settle even with new friends in Sydney and running a successful game show at a local pub and a boyfriend who is not dissimilar in attitude to the London boyfriend although through her circumstances marriage is mooted. Finally she decides to respond to her initial enquiry regarding work at a mango farm in the outback of North West Australia.
Getting to the mango farm has been quite an eye opener, left in the middle of nowhere by the driver of the bus the landscape like no other, Jo starts to wonder if she has made the right move. It's dark before finally the farm truck arrives. Unbeknown to her, some of these isolated farms have quite bad reputations of poor living arrangements and poor pay. The living quarters at the mango farm, no electricity, no communication facilities and bunk beds in a hot tin shed. Her first day gives Jo a real taste of hard work, picking mangoes she is required to meet the designated quota. It's tough going however she makes new friends and is determined to stick it out but due to her inability to pay attention to her work, mostly as the result of the continual lack of sleep, the nightmares and night terrors returning, a terrible accident occurs which changes the dynamics of her personal relationships with the other workers. After this she decides to set out alone for the utopia described by one of the visitors to the farm, an American who, like the others at this commune, has put the world behind him.
With only a few bottles of water and some bruised mangoes Jo starts off into the desolate wasteland with only vague instructions of a westward destination. Almost succumbing to dehydration and sunstroke she is discovered by chance by the matriarch of the commune travelling with the American Gabe, where she finally wakes to find herself at the commune. The matriarch Ally has a beguiling personality and in no time Jo finds herself taken in by her. Ally's past professional life has given her the tools to get into someone's mind and for which Jo, like the others, succumbs to her, revealing things about herself that she has never told anyone. However, in an incident with Gabe her hidden memories are awakened and the truth of her childhood actions revealed. The discovery of Ally's real purpose with everyone eventually comes to light as does the deceit by Gabe. Unbeknown to Jo those from the outside world have put actions into motion for which eventually reaches her mother in London.
July 3, 2022
On every other page of Out Of Breath, I wanted to shake Jo’s shoulders and shout “You’re in a CULT! Call your Dad!” (Murderinos know what I mean). The ending is perhaps a little neat, with all the loose ends tied up in a perfect bow, but I thought Snoekstra did a great job of bringing it all together. Even if psychological thrillers aren’t your thing, you’ll enjoy the rich descriptions of the outback setting, freediving, and the pearl trade.
My full review of Out Of Breath is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Out Of Breath is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
November 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Out of Breath fell a little flat for me. There were a lot of scenes were a sense of foreboding built and then everything was fine. I felt maybe the author was trying to tease the reader with suspense building throughout the novel but it didn't really work for me.
The pace was slow however I did find the plot intriguing. Jo is on a working holiday in Australia and to maintain her Visa she must work as a fruit picker in the outback for a specified number of weeks. When the charismatic Gabe suggests she find the commune he is living on she leaves the farm but Jo soon finds she is in way over her head and she doesn't know who she can trust.
Reader empathy for the main character, Jo, is built up early in the novel and I found myself interested in her journey and wanting her to find peace within herself.
There are many wonderfully described moments throughout; with time on a mango farm, a trip through the Australian outback and deep diving for oysters. I think it was these moments, and the excellent sense of place that Snoekstra evokes, that saved the novel for me.
Out of Breath is an evocative read if you want to experience the remoteness of outback Australia, but I wouldn't really call it a thriller.
Out of Breath fell a little flat for me. There were a lot of scenes were a sense of foreboding built and then everything was fine. I felt maybe the author was trying to tease the reader with suspense building throughout the novel but it didn't really work for me.
The pace was slow however I did find the plot intriguing. Jo is on a working holiday in Australia and to maintain her Visa she must work as a fruit picker in the outback for a specified number of weeks. When the charismatic Gabe suggests she find the commune he is living on she leaves the farm but Jo soon finds she is in way over her head and she doesn't know who she can trust.
Reader empathy for the main character, Jo, is built up early in the novel and I found myself interested in her journey and wanting her to find peace within herself.
There are many wonderfully described moments throughout; with time on a mango farm, a trip through the Australian outback and deep diving for oysters. I think it was these moments, and the excellent sense of place that Snoekstra evokes, that saved the novel for me.
Out of Breath is an evocative read if you want to experience the remoteness of outback Australia, but I wouldn't really call it a thriller.
June 10, 2022
'She’s going to make this life work.’
Jo Ainsley escaped her traumatic childhood in England by attending art school in London. And then she moved to Sydney. When her relationship in Sydney fails, Jo moves to the remote north-western region of Western Australia. While Jo wants to extend her visa to stay in Australia, and 88 days working on a farm will achieve this, it is also another way of escaping from the past.
On a mango farm outside Broome, Jo finds that the work is hard. The conditions are basic, and the throughput of staff is high. While working, Jo meets Gabe, who tells her about an off-grid community which sounds idyllic. So, when Jo decides to run again, after a traumatic incident on the mango farm, she sets off to find this community.
Badly sun burned, dehydrated and ill, Jo finds refuge in this seemingly carefree off-grid community. She is made feel welcome and encouraged to find her own answers. There are issues in the past that Jo needs to confront but she is also concerned about aspects of life in the community. Jo learns to free dive and enjoys the control the experience gives her. But not everyone seems happy in the community, and Jo is particularly worried about one person. Jo is also concerned when she learns how the community uses its free diving skills.
A terrific, haunting story with a fitting ending.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Jo Ainsley escaped her traumatic childhood in England by attending art school in London. And then she moved to Sydney. When her relationship in Sydney fails, Jo moves to the remote north-western region of Western Australia. While Jo wants to extend her visa to stay in Australia, and 88 days working on a farm will achieve this, it is also another way of escaping from the past.
On a mango farm outside Broome, Jo finds that the work is hard. The conditions are basic, and the throughput of staff is high. While working, Jo meets Gabe, who tells her about an off-grid community which sounds idyllic. So, when Jo decides to run again, after a traumatic incident on the mango farm, she sets off to find this community.
Badly sun burned, dehydrated and ill, Jo finds refuge in this seemingly carefree off-grid community. She is made feel welcome and encouraged to find her own answers. There are issues in the past that Jo needs to confront but she is also concerned about aspects of life in the community. Jo learns to free dive and enjoys the control the experience gives her. But not everyone seems happy in the community, and Jo is particularly worried about one person. Jo is also concerned when she learns how the community uses its free diving skills.
A terrific, haunting story with a fitting ending.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 23, 2022
‘Nail biting’ and ‘tense’ are often bandied about on covers, but this book, set between England, East Coast Australia, and Northwest Australia really lives up to the descriptions. Jo is running away (or to) dysfunctional relationships, and finds herself on a mango farm in the outback. A tragic event sees her run, and find the relative safety of Rossack, an off-grid community where those who don’t want to be found live. The idyll is restoring for Jo at first, but gradually the cracks appear, and she, with a young child, soon find themselves in a battle for their lives.
The writing in this book superbly describes the conditions of the outback - such a skilled use of words to give it its own character, and makes it just as lethal as any human could be. As an Australian, the descriptions of out bush tend to leave you a bit ‘yeah, nah’, but here you can actually feel the sun beating down, see the colours through Jo’s eyes, and hear the beautifully deadly environment.
This is blended through with stories of motherless children and childless mothers, and the parts come together as an incredibly readable story, to be devoured by both locals and those who picture Australia as one big danger sign. *kicks snake off foot, and steps over crocodile*
With thanks to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins/HarlequinAus for a copy for review.
The writing in this book superbly describes the conditions of the outback - such a skilled use of words to give it its own character, and makes it just as lethal as any human could be. As an Australian, the descriptions of out bush tend to leave you a bit ‘yeah, nah’, but here you can actually feel the sun beating down, see the colours through Jo’s eyes, and hear the beautifully deadly environment.
This is blended through with stories of motherless children and childless mothers, and the parts come together as an incredibly readable story, to be devoured by both locals and those who picture Australia as one big danger sign. *kicks snake off foot, and steps over crocodile*
With thanks to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins/HarlequinAus for a copy for review.
April 23, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Australia HQ & MIRA for the opportunity to read this arc.
Jose's character is very unique. She travels to Australia on a self discovery mission, picking Mangoes on a farm. So much happens in this book and it takes you on a journey of twists and turns.
Although not my favourite, it was still a good solid read.
Jose's character is very unique. She travels to Australia on a self discovery mission, picking Mangoes on a farm. So much happens in this book and it takes you on a journey of twists and turns.
Although not my favourite, it was still a good solid read.
June 15, 2022
Not your typical thriller, this story delves into deep psychological territory, into the reasons why someone would run from their past and hide from society, and about how few things are ever what they seem on the surface.
Jo Ainsley has spent her life running from things. She eventually runs to isolated north-west Australia, and after a traumatic event on the farm she's working on, she runs from there too, seeking to find an idyllic community she hopes will help her heal.
When she first arrives she feels nothing but acceptance and comfort, but as she starts to heal, things start to appear to be not what she initially thought.
This is an absorbing and tense novel which reeled me in and kept me guessing - I just wasn't sure where it was going to end up. Kudos to the author for not drawing the climax out to unbelievable lengths.
I did, however, take a star off because of the overuse/misuse of pronouns. Sometimes it was difficult to determine which "she" or "her" was the subject and I needed to reread a few passages to work out what was happening to whom.
Jo Ainsley has spent her life running from things. She eventually runs to isolated north-west Australia, and after a traumatic event on the farm she's working on, she runs from there too, seeking to find an idyllic community she hopes will help her heal.
When she first arrives she feels nothing but acceptance and comfort, but as she starts to heal, things start to appear to be not what she initially thought.
This is an absorbing and tense novel which reeled me in and kept me guessing - I just wasn't sure where it was going to end up. Kudos to the author for not drawing the climax out to unbelievable lengths.
I did, however, take a star off because of the overuse/misuse of pronouns. Sometimes it was difficult to determine which "she" or "her" was the subject and I needed to reread a few passages to work out what was happening to whom.
June 17, 2022
I love Aussie Fiction and I love interesting settings, thought provoking back stories and engaging plots - so a book like this that has it all is a winner in my book!
Largely set in the far north west of Australia, this story of a back packer trying to escape her past in an off-grid community has good pace and tension, with some brilliant settings. It was compelling and easy to read, with enough complications to keep me engaged in a busy reading season. Perfect holiday read (especially in winter if you need some vicarious warmth!) and I’m so glad to have stumbled on a new Aussie author whose backlist I can jump into!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for the ARC
Largely set in the far north west of Australia, this story of a back packer trying to escape her past in an off-grid community has good pace and tension, with some brilliant settings. It was compelling and easy to read, with enough complications to keep me engaged in a busy reading season. Perfect holiday read (especially in winter if you need some vicarious warmth!) and I’m so glad to have stumbled on a new Aussie author whose backlist I can jump into!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for the ARC
April 17, 2022
An enthralling novel about a woman trying to find a place to belong by leaving her dysfunctional relationships in England to work in Australia. She is fruit-picking in a remote farm near Broome when she is attracted to an off-the-grid community in the area. Its charismatic leader helps her face some of her past but she soon finds that all is not as utopian as she wanted it to be. Great plot twists and the description of the landscape and characters brought the story to life. I read it in one sitting and really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for advance copy.
July 16, 2022
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The allure of international travel, the experience and excitement of a gap year or an opportunity to escape emotional trauma and baggage all contribute to the en mass of young adults that partake in such adventures.
An experience that can be fraught with its own dangers.
Jo escapes her traumatic turmoil by travelling to Australia from the UK.
Unresolved issues and relationships left on the other side of world.
Hoping the bright sunlight and big skies will assist in emotional recovery.
Visa obligations see Jo land work on a mango farm in far north Western Australia.
A place where beauty and heat are abundant.
Working conditions are gruelling and the host family are a little off.
The interactions with fellow backpackers triggers a reaction in Jo and offsets a subsequent series of events.
Unsavoury individuals, illegal activity and danger all lurk.
Deep diving both physically and emotionally might unravel the darkness.
A slow but intense burn had me engaged right through out this well written plot.
The landscape descriptions and the top end Aussie experiences reflected well on the pages, bringing imagery and the senses alive.
It offers a relatable, raw and dark side of what is reality.
The allure of international travel, the experience and excitement of a gap year or an opportunity to escape emotional trauma and baggage all contribute to the en mass of young adults that partake in such adventures.
An experience that can be fraught with its own dangers.
Jo escapes her traumatic turmoil by travelling to Australia from the UK.
Unresolved issues and relationships left on the other side of world.
Hoping the bright sunlight and big skies will assist in emotional recovery.
Visa obligations see Jo land work on a mango farm in far north Western Australia.
A place where beauty and heat are abundant.
Working conditions are gruelling and the host family are a little off.
The interactions with fellow backpackers triggers a reaction in Jo and offsets a subsequent series of events.
Unsavoury individuals, illegal activity and danger all lurk.
Deep diving both physically and emotionally might unravel the darkness.
A slow but intense burn had me engaged right through out this well written plot.
The landscape descriptions and the top end Aussie experiences reflected well on the pages, bringing imagery and the senses alive.
It offers a relatable, raw and dark side of what is reality.
May 13, 2022
Broome is one of my favourite holiday spots. I have stayed there 17 times. so “Out of Breath” greatly appealed to me given that it’s near Broome where a lot of the action happens.
Jo is running away from bad relationships and a career disaster in England. After realising she was failing art school and being in a dissatisfying, dysfunctional relationship with a man who is her teacher, she dumps the man, Geoff, and leaves for Australia. She stops off in Sydney, but it doesn’t really appeal. She sees that it’s just a city like any other. Not far removed from London really. Her childhood trauma ( involving an uncaring and absent father) still haunts her in the form of insomnia and nightmares. She gets a job and meets a new boyfriend. She realises he’s a bit too similar to Geoff in London, that nothing has really changed, and leaves Sydney.
She ends up in Northwest Australia, working on a mango farm. Following a tragic event, she runs again to what she believes is the safety of Rossack, a community/ cult where those who want to disappear choose to live away from mainstream society. At first, she finds the community life to be idyllic, restoring, and calming. Just what she needs after all her worries and the turmoil she has faced. After a bit, she sees that all is not what it seems. She tries to help a young child to escape from what is not after all a community that offers succour to the lost, but rather a controlling cult.
The descriptions of the Northwest countryside and climate are wonderfully done. This is a well written, fast moving book that I really enjoyed reading. I recommend this book to others.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Harlequin Australia for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jo is running away from bad relationships and a career disaster in England. After realising she was failing art school and being in a dissatisfying, dysfunctional relationship with a man who is her teacher, she dumps the man, Geoff, and leaves for Australia. She stops off in Sydney, but it doesn’t really appeal. She sees that it’s just a city like any other. Not far removed from London really. Her childhood trauma ( involving an uncaring and absent father) still haunts her in the form of insomnia and nightmares. She gets a job and meets a new boyfriend. She realises he’s a bit too similar to Geoff in London, that nothing has really changed, and leaves Sydney.
She ends up in Northwest Australia, working on a mango farm. Following a tragic event, she runs again to what she believes is the safety of Rossack, a community/ cult where those who want to disappear choose to live away from mainstream society. At first, she finds the community life to be idyllic, restoring, and calming. Just what she needs after all her worries and the turmoil she has faced. After a bit, she sees that all is not what it seems. She tries to help a young child to escape from what is not after all a community that offers succour to the lost, but rather a controlling cult.
The descriptions of the Northwest countryside and climate are wonderfully done. This is a well written, fast moving book that I really enjoyed reading. I recommend this book to others.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Harlequin Australia for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2022
What I really liked about this is Snoekstra manages to have us trust those we shouldn't and suspicious of those we should. I appreciated that but I think the challenge for me here though is I didn't really feel as if I was given a solid antagonist. On one hand it's a good thing - that everyone we meet comes in shades of grey - not all good or all bad, but at the same time it meant I felt a little anticlimactic (the climax I was waiting for just didn't come, or perhaps the conclusion was a little rushed).
That aside, Snoekstra offers an interesting and engaging study in human nature and I think this would be a great bookclub read as there's much moral fodder for discussion.
3.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
That aside, Snoekstra offers an interesting and engaging study in human nature and I think this would be a great bookclub read as there's much moral fodder for discussion.
3.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
April 30, 2022
I love a good book about a closed community with a decent dose of suspense and drama. Throw in an Aussie outback setting and I'm in for the ride. There was plenty going on and the storytelling was vivid and engaging.
I liked the shifting nature of who the "bad guy" was and the resolution at the end which still left enough speculation for the reader to fill in some gaps.
I feel there was too much background story leading up to the main focus although I never became bored. I just don't think it was all entirely necessary. And I don't like the cover. Still a four star read for me and I'm a tough audience.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I liked the shifting nature of who the "bad guy" was and the resolution at the end which still left enough speculation for the reader to fill in some gaps.
I feel there was too much background story leading up to the main focus although I never became bored. I just don't think it was all entirely necessary. And I don't like the cover. Still a four star read for me and I'm a tough audience.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
May 21, 2022
Jo/Josephine /J Ainsley is a woman in her twenties who has moved from London to Sydney, and then goes to Western Australia to do farm work for her visa to enable her to stay in Australia. Laborious farm work ensues whilst meeting new people, followed by a series of tragic events that leads her fleeing to a community of people with a seemingly idyllic life. As a fan of Anna Snoekstra’s previous books, I was very excited to read this.
I enjoy location reads, and am fascinated by anything with a whisper of cult life, and this one did not disappoint. Vivid descriptions of the harsh Australian scenery, from the red dirt of the outback, to the glittering blue of the ocean,and murky green of inland swamps. As someone who adores the ocean, I was intrigued by the free diving aspect and the way this was explained and woven into the story.
This is an engaging story of strength, trust, muddled memories and what people are capable of doing to hold close the things that mean the most.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy location reads, and am fascinated by anything with a whisper of cult life, and this one did not disappoint. Vivid descriptions of the harsh Australian scenery, from the red dirt of the outback, to the glittering blue of the ocean,and murky green of inland swamps. As someone who adores the ocean, I was intrigued by the free diving aspect and the way this was explained and woven into the story.
This is an engaging story of strength, trust, muddled memories and what people are capable of doing to hold close the things that mean the most.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2023
Jo Ainsley has been running for a long time. From her childhood in small town England to art school in London to the messy end of a relationship in Sydney, Jo has chosen to run again and again, each time moving further from where her troubles began.
I have never read a book about the sport of freediving. And wow, what an eye opener it was. A sign of a good book to me has me googling and researching matter I’ve not heard of before, and I did a ton after I finished this one.
What an enthralling read! A deep dive (pardon the pun) into an intricate and dark story, delving into loss, past trauma and self discovery.
This novel was incredibly well researched with an engaging plot, in a rural Aussie setting. Richly drawn, complex characters where evil seems to loom beneath the surface (and again) at every turn. It was hard one to put down.
Anna superbly covers some of Australia’s most beautiful coast lines and outback with hauntingly atmospheric writing - they almost become characters within themselves.
It’s told seamlessly in a duel timeline from past and present, a slow yet perfectly steady pace.
You’ll be swept away (hehehe) by the beautiful narrative this novel delivers.
Sorry I had too much fun with water analogies!
Many kind thanks to the wonderful Eloise at @harlequinaus for my advanced reading proof.
Many thanks also to @netgalley @hqstories @harpercollinsaustralia
April 23, 2022
3.5 rounded up
Out of Breath is my first read by author, Anna Snoekstra. This one is a standalone psychological drama/thriller. The story follows UK-born, Jo as she travels to Western Australia where she first works on a farm picking fruit and then later joins a community of people living off the grid. The best part of this book is the outback Australian setting and richly drawn complex characters. Being from Western Australia myself, I could easily understand the tourist backpacker culture described in the book. The character of Jo is multi-layered, complex, flawed and her sense of wanting to connect relatable. My biggest dislike for the book was the pace. The story for me didn't really get interesting until around 40% of the way in when she got to the community. I found this part really engaging and I was invested in wanting to know more about these people and their motivations. What were their secrets, was it all too good to be true?
I'd recommend this book to fans of complex and dramatic mysteries/thrillers. The setting and tourist culture makes this one unique and fun to read. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.
Out of Breath is my first read by author, Anna Snoekstra. This one is a standalone psychological drama/thriller. The story follows UK-born, Jo as she travels to Western Australia where she first works on a farm picking fruit and then later joins a community of people living off the grid. The best part of this book is the outback Australian setting and richly drawn complex characters. Being from Western Australia myself, I could easily understand the tourist backpacker culture described in the book. The character of Jo is multi-layered, complex, flawed and her sense of wanting to connect relatable. My biggest dislike for the book was the pace. The story for me didn't really get interesting until around 40% of the way in when she got to the community. I found this part really engaging and I was invested in wanting to know more about these people and their motivations. What were their secrets, was it all too good to be true?
I'd recommend this book to fans of complex and dramatic mysteries/thrillers. The setting and tourist culture makes this one unique and fun to read. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.
June 12, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for letting me read an arc of this book. The following is my review of the book:
Jo has been running away most of her life, from a secret that she can’t even remember. She ends up in Australia, and met a mysterious stranger,Gabe. She thought she found solace with Gabe and their group until she finds more secrets that she didn’t want to uncover.
This book was very compelling to read. Also so heart-wrenching that there was a whole chapter that made me cry. I just wanted to give Jo a big hug. I have never been to Australia but I felt like I was because of how the author narrated the story. I haven’t read thrillers in a while and this book just reminded me how great they can be if done well.
Jo has been running away most of her life, from a secret that she can’t even remember. She ends up in Australia, and met a mysterious stranger,Gabe. She thought she found solace with Gabe and their group until she finds more secrets that she didn’t want to uncover.
This book was very compelling to read. Also so heart-wrenching that there was a whole chapter that made me cry. I just wanted to give Jo a big hug. I have never been to Australia but I felt like I was because of how the author narrated the story. I haven’t read thrillers in a while and this book just reminded me how great they can be if done well.
April 23, 2022
What a great book! I loved it.
From the very first page I was engaged and the story moved along nicely.
One minute we were in Sydney, the next in Broome.
Moving back and forward between timelines in Jo's life, there was plenty of mystery to keep you guessing, suspense to keep you intrigued and I loved the ending which had (for me) a little added surprise.
The description was well drawn and I was on the edge of my seat several times.
I will certainly be seeking out other books by this author.
Well done.
From the very first page I was engaged and the story moved along nicely.
One minute we were in Sydney, the next in Broome.
Moving back and forward between timelines in Jo's life, there was plenty of mystery to keep you guessing, suspense to keep you intrigued and I loved the ending which had (for me) a little added surprise.
The description was well drawn and I was on the edge of my seat several times.
I will certainly be seeking out other books by this author.
Well done.
August 9, 2023
What an unputdownable book. I was hooked from the first chapter and read the whole thing in one sitting, finishing at 4am.
Completely unexpected plot twists kept me reading.
Josie is such a different character to others I’ve read.
The scene setting was excellent. The research that went into this book is solid.
I just reviewed Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra. #OutofBreath #NetGalley
Completely unexpected plot twists kept me reading.
Josie is such a different character to others I’ve read.
The scene setting was excellent. The research that went into this book is solid.
I just reviewed Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra. #OutofBreath #NetGalley
April 29, 2022
A smart, sexy page turner. A contemporary novel set in various locales in outback Australia, with an engaging heroine who gets caught up in a mystery while trying to literally run away from her personal demons.
April 24, 2022
As a British man who did the seasonal visa work on a farm, this was spot on. I loved it. Riveting, nuanced and unputdownable. This book made me feel out of breath.
May 2, 2022
Anna Snoekstra Is bar far my favourite writer. I always immediately become consumed with her evocative writing. Out of breath is gritty & and touches on dark but important themes.
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